Westside annexing may be postponed

Wed, 07/17/2013 - 10:47amBen Nelms

The final reading for the annexation and rezoning of approximately 1,200 acres on Fayetteville’s west side is on the Thursday agenda of the Fayetteville City Council. But the proposal could be tabled until Aug. 1 due to a recommendation by city staff so that the intergovernmental agreement with Fayette County pertaining to the large acreage can be completed.

The annexation of approximately 1,200 acres includes parcels along Ga. Highway 54 extending from east of Sandy Creek Road to Tyrone Road and along both sides of Veterans Parkway from Hwy. 54 to Sandy Creek Road. The significance of the annexation, aside from increasing the size of the city limits by 19 percent, is that it will enable Pinewood Atlanta Studios and several affiliated parcels to have sewer access.

“The need for sewer service at this location necessitates that the property be located within the city limits to have access to the city’s sewer system,” said Fayetteville Community Development Director Brian Wismer. “Because the studio property is not directly contiguous to the city’s current borders, other parcels must also be annexed to make this direct connection. In addition, the city has received annexation requests from other contiguous property owners.”

The entire annexation area includes 1,186 acres, of which approximately 576 acres are requesting PCD (Planned Community District) zoning. Those parcels include the 290-acre Pinewood Atlanta Studios property on Sandy Creek Road/Veterans Parkway, the 97-acre parcel directly to the south owned by Shirley Adams Horton, the 28-acre parcel that includes the former Rivers Elementary School soon to be purchased by Rivers Rock/Pinewood for use as an educational component by the studio, the adjacent 44-acre property owned by Rivers Rock/Pinewood and a 117-acre parcel on the east side of Veterans Parkway proposed for the Pinewood residential campus.

The remaining parcels requesting annexation and rezoning include approximately 610 acres that are seeking R-70 large-lot residential zoning. Those parcels are located on the east, west and north sides of Piedmont Fayette Hospital and are situated south of the PCD-requested properties.

Wismer said the city staff is recommending approval of the annexation and initial zoning for the various parcels, though he is recommending the decision be tabled so the intergovernmental agreement between the city and Fayette County that pertains to various aspects of the properties can be ironed out in the coming weeks.

“... in order to allow the county an adequate period of time to consider the annexation/rezoning request, at this time staff recommends that city council table both agenda items until the meeting scheduled for Aug. 1,” Wismer said. “By then, the county will have decided whether or not to state any objections, in which the city can factor into its decision.”

Another aspect of the future development of the area is expected to be the proposal in coming weeks that would introduce new zoning categories that would potentially apply to the 610 acres slated to come into the city under the R-70 zoning.